Provision-safe.



PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907 0." E. KEARNS.

PROVISION SAFE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 5, 1907.

VE/V TOR;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR E. KEARNS, OF HIGH POINT, NORTHCAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO KEARNS FURNITURE COMPANY, OF HIGH POINT, NORTHCAROLINA.

PROVISION-SAFE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed July 3, 1907. Serial No. 382.046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR E. KEARNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at High Point, in the county of Guilford and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Provision-Safe, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

This invention relates to knock-down furniture and more particularly toprovision safes or similar articles of furniture.

The object of the invention is to provide a' device of this characterwhich can be quickly set up or taken apart and which has joints of novelform whereby the panels of which the device is constructed will beself-centering.

I-Ieretofore in the construction of knockdown furniture it has beencustomary to use the ordinary tongue and groove joints but these havebeen found objectionable because should the furniture be twisted orpartly folded after the panels are assembled but before the shelves orbottom of the device are placed in position the tongues are liable tobreak off within the grooves. Inasmuch as furniture of this character isdesigned to be set up by inexperienced persons it will be understoodthat this objection is an important one.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate this objectionablefeature by providing joints for the panels which permit said panels tochange their angles to one another without danger of becoming cracked orbroken, the bottom and shelves of the device being depended upon to holdthe panels at the proper angles.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

. raised.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a provision safeembodying the present improvements, the top of the safe being removedand one of the side panels partly Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesection through the upper portion of the safe. 3 is an enlarged view ofone of the joints, one of the positions which may be assumed by one ofthe panels being indicated by dotted lines.

Referring to the figures by'characters of reference, 1 designates thefront panel of a Fig.

safe the same havin side strips 2 which eX- tend below the pane to formleg sections 3. The rear panel 4 of the safe also has side strips 5extending therebelow to form leg sections 6. Each of the strips 2 and 5is provided in its inner face with a longitudinal groove 7 which issubstantially semicylindrical in transverse contour. Interposed betweenthe strips 2 and 5 are side panels 8 each having side strips 9 whichextend below the panels 8 to form leg sections 10. The outerlongitudinal edge of each strip 9 is rounded so as to fit snugly withinthe adj oining groove 7, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. Each sidepanel is provided with a plurality of cleats 10 designed to support theshelves 11 and the bottom'of the safe.

In order that the front and rear panels head 13 at one end and suitablemeans such as a thumb nut 14 at its other end so that by tightening thenut the panels 1 and 4 can bev drawn against the rounded edges of theside panels. A top 15 is disposed to be secured in any suitable mannerupon the safe, said top having guard strips or flanges 16 extendingtherearound and designed to lap the upper portions of the panels.

An article of furniture such as herein described is designed to beshipped and placed upon the market with the parts disconnected. Thepurchaser can readily assemble the parts by first inserting the rods 12through the front and rear panels and placing the nuts thereon. The sidepanels are then moved downward between the front and rear panels andwith their rounded edges in the grooves 7. The nuts are then tightenedso that the front and rear panels will be firmly clamped upon the sidepanels. Inasmuch as the edges of the side panels are rounded and fitwithin correspondingly shaped grooves itwill be apparent that if theside panels should not be properly centered when placed in position therods, when tightened, will cause the panels to shift into their properpositions. Moreover, if, by any chance the side panels should be forcedout of position at right angles to the front and rear panels as SllOWIlby dotted lines in Fig. 3 and prior to the placing of the shelves andbottom of the safe, there will be no danger of the panels splitting atthe joints as would be the case should ordinary tongue and grooveconnections be employed in lieu of the oints disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of furniture having front, rear and side panels, said sidepanels having rounded edges, and said front and rear panels havingrounded grooves designed to receive said edges, and means for bindingthe front and rear panels upon the side panels.

2. An article of furniture having front and rear panels each of saidpanels having longitudinal grooves curved in crosssection, side panelsinterposed between the first mentioned panels and. having roundedlongitudi nal edges disposed to fit and turn within the grooves, and tierods engaging the front and rear panels and disposed to bind them uponthe side panels.

3. An article of manufacture having front and rear panels, each of saidpanels having longitudinal grooves substantially semi-circular in crosssection, side panels interposed 7 between the first mentioned panels andhaving rounded longitudinal edges conforming in contour with anddisposed to fit within panels, and means engaging the rods for bindingthe grooved panels upon the side panels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I- have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

OSCAR E. KEARNS. Witnesses G. H. KEARNS, L. L. BEST.

